Yoga for Osteoarthritis: Ancient Exercise to Ease the Pain

The Ancient Art of Yoga Has Many Benefits

Growing up in India, I would wake at dawn with my grandmother as the day begins early on the farm. She would unroll her bamboo mat and stretch her body into several poses until the sun greeted us. I remember her heavy breathing and the beatific look on her face when she was done. When the knots grew large on the knuckles of her hands and her knees began to swell, she never stopped doing yoga for osteoarthritis. It was a part of her daily life and also became a part of our family life, especially among the women.

When my grandmother was formally diagnosed with osteoarthritis, we weren't surprised. We saw the symptoms before she ever complained about them. I didn't realize until recently that Grandmother used yoga to manage her pain.

One by the one, several women in the family developed osteoarthritis and I frequently wondered, will I be next? I was born with a congenital defect in my knees that causes the patella to chronically dislocate. I had surgery on both knees as a teenager to temporarily help correct the abnormality. I still deal with lingering pain and dislocations, though they now only happen once in a while.

When my doctor first mentioned osteoarthritis, I immediately went into research mode.

"Osteo-" means bone, "-arth" means joint and "-itis" means inflammation. An osteoarthritic joint is when the ends of the adjoining bone have deteriorated cartilage. Cartilage is a type of tissue that cushions the ends of two separate bones that connect and they do not have their own blood supply. So cartilage relies on the natural fluid or lubricant to move waste out of the joint and bring nutrients into the joint. When years of daily wear and tear or a congenital (something you are born with) defect affects the elasticity of the cartilage, it begins to break down, leading to decreased mobility. The circulation through the joint suffers, causing the bones and ligaments to rub, resulting in the inevitable pain and swelling.

The fluid, or the joint's natural lubricant, is called synovial fluid. When this fluid diminishes because of decreased circulation inside the joint, there are fewer nutrients being fed to the cartilage.

When Grandmother practiced yoga, she was enhancing the circulation of the fluids inside the joint so her bones received the lubrication and nutrients they needed. Yoga also increases circulation throughout the entire body.

Yoga is a practice of physical movement and theories that originated in India around 5,000 years ago. Ancient practitioners of this art, called yogis, wanted to create a way to balance the body, the spirit and the mind. The word yoga is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning "to yoke" or "to unite." The essence of yoga is to improve physical health, balance emotional health and to strengthen mental well-being. Different poses ??? asanas ??? are used to enhance motion, flexibility, balance, strength and circulation in different areas of the body.

Grandmother lived with us during my childhood and I often joined her while she practiced certain poses. She gently guided me through positions and breathing techniques, urging me to practice asanas on my own. She pointed out poses that would help strengthen my knees and release the tension in my hips caused by the weakness in my knees, helping me to get through the pain.

According to the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center, over 75 scientific trials have been published on yoga in major medical journals and they show that yoga is a safe and effective way to increase physical activity. Due to its meditative nature, yoga also has psychological benefits that help with pain management.

As fate would have it, I met and began training with Alicia Bliss Hall, a naturopathic doctor and registered yoga trainer at Creative Health in Greenville, South Carolina. "Not only does yoga for osteoarthritis soothe the physical symptoms but also the emotional symptoms of the pain," she explains.

"There are many yoga poses that can help with the pain and inflammation of the spine, neck, shoulders, knees and hands, but the best type of yoga for osteoarthritis is restorative yoga," she says. "The focus of restorative yoga is to keep the body movements gentle and use lots of props, chairs, straps, blocks and blankets to help support different body parts."

Alicia explains that to keep joints moving freely, we need to use their full range. Yoga helps us utilize a joint's range of motion. When we fail to do this, over time movement becomes limited and we place a great deal of strain on adjoining joints. For example, if one hip is stiff, it places a strain on the knee of the leg. Yoga postures, when done with an understanding of the body's structure and without force, complemented by deep breathing, can restore the joint's natural movement and won't distort its normal function.

I am a regular in Alicia's special yoga workshops and retreats. The classes and workshops are geared to different individual issues and she is able to meld therapy with exercise, nutrition and healthy living.

After attending a workshop, retreat or class, I feel rejuvenated and the quality of my life improves one more notch. Yoga is more therapeutic for arthritic joints than conventional exercise, like jogging, biking and even walking. Those exercises get the joints moving, but in a more limited and sometimes increasingly painful way.

Before I began attending Alicia's yoga retreats to enhance my postures, I would go through a dark phase every winter when the pain and stiffness would leave me depressed and aching all over. It was difficult to get up from the couch or even drive to work. I would try to do some poses at home, but once again, I'd become inactive and it would be more and more difficult to get going again.

Joining a group or attending a class helps keep me motivated. Speaking with the instructor about my specific issues also improves the experience. Soon, I became friends with others in the class and we'd support each other during the down times.

As with any new physical activity, consult your doctor first. Ask if there are any limitations or restrictions concerning your medical condition. Even though yoga for osteoarthritis is a safe and effective form of exercise, it's always safe to let your doctor know and get some advice beforehand.

According to the treatment guidelines published by the John Hopkins Arthritis Center, physical activity is an essential part of the effective treatment of osteoarthritis; exercise is safe and does not exacerbate pain or worsen the disease, it may actually play a key role in promoting joint health.

I understand if you are scared because regular forms of exercise seem painful, but yoga for osteoarthritis is an alternative that can ease you into using your joints again.

I lived in fear for years, always afraid that my knee would dislocate again, swell like a huge watermelon and that I would miss school or work for days. Surgery helped but didn't cure the issue. I'm not claiming that yoga is the cure, but it strengthened my joints. I'm able to run again. I enjoy biking with my daughter and go hiking through beautiful mountain trails with her. Yes, the pain is there, but happily manageable.